Last reviewed: 2026-05-27 > Quick answer: SmartCraft Connect works on most Mercury motors from 2004 onward: FourStroke 40 HP+, Pro XS 115 HP+, Verado, SeaPro 40 HP+, and Avator electric. It does NOT work on 9.9 to 20 HP portables, pre-2004 4-strokes, or any 2-stroke or...
Last reviewed: 2026-05-27
Quick answer: SmartCraft Connect works on most Mercury motors from 2004 onward: FourStroke 40 HP+, Pro XS 115 HP+, Verado, SeaPro 40 HP+, and Avator electric. It does NOT work on 9.9 to 20 HP portables, pre-2004 4-strokes, or any 2-stroke or Optimax engine. Mercury 25 and 30 HP got SmartCraft in 2022. Email your serial number to info@harrisboatworks.ca for a same-day yes or no.
Most Mercury owners hear about SmartCraft Connect from a buddy at the dock and ask the same first question: does it even work on my motor. The short version is above. The full version, including the exceptions and the "ask first" cases, is below. We see this question every week at the shop, so we put the answer in one place.
If your motor turns out to be compatible, you also need a gateway module (one-time install), the Mercury Marine app on your phone, and an active phone data plan when you want live engine data. We'll cover all of that. If your motor isn't compatible, there's still a path. We'll cover that too.
Quick eligibility check
The fastest way to confirm: find your Mercury serial number, email it to info@harrisboatworks.ca, and we'll reply same-day with a yes or no. The table below covers 95 percent of cases.
| Motor class |
Compatible? |
Notes |
| Mercury FourStroke 40 HP+ (2004 onward) |
Yes |
Most common SmartCraft Connect install |
| Mercury Pro XS 115 HP+ (2004 onward) |
Yes |
All current Pro XS models |
| Mercury Verado (any current production year) |
Yes |
Verado has been SmartCraft-native since launch |
| Mercury SeaPro 40 HP+ (2004 onward) |
Yes |
Commercial variant uses the same protocol |
| Mercury 25 HP and 30 HP |
Yes, 2022 onward only |
Earlier years do not have the SmartCraft network |
| Mercury Avator electric |
Yes, different module |
Ask HBW for the Avator-specific Connect path |
| Mercury 9.9, 15, 20 HP small portables |
No |
Not SmartCraft-equipped by design |
| Pre-2004 Mercury 4-strokes |
No |
SmartCraft network was not yet on these motors |
| Mercury 2-strokes (any year) |
No |
Different protocol, no Connect path |
| Mercury Optimax (any year) |
No |
Different protocol, no Connect path |
If your motor isn't on this table, send the serial number and we'll check.
The SmartCraft Connect gateway module. About the size of a deck of cards, mounts in your electronics bay. The part the dealer installs to enable the Mercury Marine app.
What SmartCraft Connect actually does
Before checking eligibility it helps to know what you'd be getting. SmartCraft Connect is Mercury's mobile and cloud connectivity layer (Mercury's official overview is at mercurymarine.com/en/us/products/technology/smartcraft-connect). Once installed, you get:
- Live engine data on your phone: RPM, fuel flow, hours, water temp, oil pressure, alarms
- Trip logs and engine hour tracking automatically saved to the cloud
- Service interval reminders pushed before they're overdue
- Fault code translation so a beep doesn't send you scrambling for the manual
- Engine and trip sharing with your dealer (you, if you want to send it to us before a service call)
It is not a chartplotter, not a sonar, not a remote start. It is a connectivity layer between your motor and your phone, and that's the right way to think about whether you need it.
Which Mercury motors are eligible
The simplest way to read the eligibility table above is this: if your motor was built in 2004 or later and is NOT a 9.9, 15, or 20 HP portable, and not a 2-stroke or Optimax, it is almost certainly SmartCraft-compatible.
The four edge cases are worth knowing.
Mercury 25 HP and 30 HP
These got SmartCraft added in 2022. If you have a 2021 or earlier 25 or 30, no Connect. If you have a 2022 or newer, yes. The 25 HP and 30 HP class is the only one where the model year cutoff matters this recently.
Mercury Avator electric
The Avator electric outboards (7e, 20e, 35e at time of writing) connect to the Mercury Marine app but use a different module than the gas SmartCraft path. The end-user experience is the same. The install part number is different. If you have an Avator, ask us specifically for the Avator path.
Mercury Joystick Piloting / Active Trim / Skyhook setups
If you already have one of Mercury's premium systems (Joystick Piloting, Active Trim, Skyhook), your boat is already deeply SmartCraft-integrated. The Connect module just gets added to the existing network. The install on these boats is usually 30 minutes start to finish because the wiring is already there.
Twin or triple engine setups
SmartCraft Connect handles up to four engines on one boat. Each engine reports independently in the app. Twin Verados, twin Pro XS, twin FourStrokes are all supported. If you have a triple or quad setup, ask before assuming, because the gateway hardware can have an engine count limit depending on the year.
Which Mercury motors are NOT eligible (and why)
Knowing the no list is just as important. If you're shopping for a used boat and the seller is promising "Mercury connectivity," check the table before you trust it.
9.9, 15, and 20 HP portables
These motors were designed as basic, lightweight outboards. They do not include the SmartCraft network bus that Connect needs. There is no retrofit path. If you want connectivity on a kicker setup, your main engine is the one that connects, not the kicker.
Pre-2004 Mercury 4-strokes
SmartCraft as a network protocol started rolling out across the Mercury lineup around 2004. Earlier 4-strokes use a simpler engine harness without the data bus. No retrofit kit makes them compatible. Your 2002 Mercury 90 EFI is a great motor, but it does not talk SmartCraft.
2-strokes (any year)
All Mercury 2-strokes use a different engine management protocol. That includes:
- The high-output 200 EFI
- The 225 EFI
- The 250 EFI 2-stroke
- Discontinued Optimax direct-injection 2-strokes
SmartCraft Connect cannot read any of them, full stop. There is no software workaround. We get this question every spring when somebody's looking at an older bass boat with a 200 EFI on the transom. The answer is the same every time: great motor, no Connect, no path to add it.
Mercury Optimax (any year)
Optimax was Mercury's direct-injection 2-stroke family from 1997 through 2017. Same answer as the rest of the 2-strokes. The engine protocol is different. Connect does not see it.
What you can do if your motor isn't eligible
If your motor is on the no list and you want SmartCraft Connect specifically, the path is a repower. Most of our customers who repower from an Optimax or pre-2004 FourStroke to a current Mercury FourStroke pick up SmartCraft Connect on the new motor day-one as a side benefit of the repower. We can quote the swap at mercuryrepower.ca or by phone at 905-342-2153.
How to find your Mercury serial number to confirm eligibility
Five places to look. Try them in this order.
- Engine cowl plate. Lift the engine cowl. There's usually a metal plate riveted to the powerhead with model, serial, and year. Take a photo with your phone before it gets dirty.
- Lower starboard side of the motor. Most modern Mercurys have a serial sticker on the right rear of the engine block, just above the lower cowl seam.
- Mounting bracket. The serial is stamped into the swivel bracket on older portables and some mid-range motors.
- VesselView display. If your boat has a VesselView or SmartCraft-aware display already, the engine info page lists the serial.
- Original purchase paperwork. Bill of sale, warranty registration, or invoice from the original dealer.
Once you have it, email info@harrisboatworks.ca with the serial and we'll confirm SmartCraft Connect eligibility in one reply. Most replies go out same business day.
For the long version of serial number decoding, our Mercury Outboard Serial Number Guide walks through year decoding by character position.
What you need beyond a compatible motor
Compatibility is step one. Three other things are required to actually run SmartCraft Connect.
- The SmartCraft Connect gateway module. This is a small black module that wires into your engine harness and provides the Wi-Fi/Bluetooth bridge to your phone. Mercury Marine part. One module per boat (it handles up to four engines).
- The Mercury Marine app. Free, iOS and Android. Search "Mercury Marine" on the App Store or Play Store. Active App Store / Play account required.
- A phone with active data when away from your dock Wi-Fi. Live data syncs to the cloud when the phone has connectivity. Without that, it caches and uploads next time it's online.
The base SmartCraft Connect features are included free with the gateway hardware. No monthly subscription required for live engine data, trip logs, service reminders, or fault codes. There's an optional Mercury Premium tier that adds advanced analytics, but most boaters never need it. Download the Mercury Marine app on iOS or Android.
How to get SmartCraft Connect installed
Two paths.
DIY install
The gateway module is sold as a Mercury part. You can install it yourself if you're comfortable with engine harness work. Allow 1 to 2 hours, basic hand tools, and the wiring diagram from Mercury's install guide. The hardest part is finding a clean spot under the cowl to mount the module without rubbing on hot surfaces.
DIY makes sense if you already have engine wiring experience and the boat is easy to access.
HBW install
Drop the boat off at HBW or bring just the motor in if it's portable. We do a clean install with the wiring tucked into the harness, mount the module in a known-good spot, pair the app to your phone before you leave, and verify all live data fields are reading correctly. Bench time is typically 1 to 1.5 hours. Most installs go out same-day if booked ahead.
The HBW install is the right call if you want it done once, done right, and you'd rather not crack the engine harness open yourself. Call 905-342-2153 to book.
What we see at HBW
We've done a lot of these installs since 2023, and a few patterns are worth mentioning.
The Connect module pays for itself first on the maintenance side. We get customers calling in after a beep code and the answer is now five seconds long because they screenshot the app and text it to us before they call. We diagnose remote-first whenever we can, and Connect cut our "guess what the alarm is" calls roughly in half last summer.
The second pattern: customers with an older boat that has a current Mercury (so a 2006 hull with a 2021 FourStroke 150, for example) often think Connect won't work because the boat is old. The boat doesn't matter. The motor's year and family matter. If the engine is 2004+ and not a portable / 2-stroke / Optimax, it's eligible.
Third pattern: the trip log feature changes how people use the boat. We've had a few customers swap from "I think I have 40 hours on this motor" to "I have exactly 42.3 hours and my 20-hour service is overdue" within a week of installing the module. That data is gold for resale value down the road too, because it documents real run hours rather than guessing.
Fourth pattern, and this one surprised us at the shop. Customers who add Connect end up running their motors better. Knowing the actual fuel flow at cruise, the actual operating temp, the actual RPM at full trim, gives them feedback they didn't have before. We see Rice Lake customers tune their trim and prop pitch with the data, and most of them pick up 2 to 4 MPH at cruise without changing anything mechanical. Just better information.
“I had Connect for almost a year before I knew what the icon on my phone meant. Turned it on, and now I check engine hours from my truck before I leave for the lake.
–What we hear most at HBW after Connect setup
SmartCraft Connect decision
Do I need SmartCraft Connect?
Skip it
- ✓You boat 5 times a year or less
- ✓You don't care about engine diagnostics
- ✓Simple rig with no current SmartCraft integration
- ✓The data wouldn't change how you use the boat
Save the money
Worth it
- ✓You repower often or track engine hours closely
- ✓You value live diagnostics
- ✓You want service alerts pushed before they're overdue
- ✓You boat 20+ days a year
Install it on the next service visit
When in doubt:Nice to have if you're a casual boater who'd check trip logs occasionally, run a single-engine setup, or you're already upgrading the boat and want the modern feature included.
Why this matters for Ontario boaters
Three reasons SmartCraft Connect lands harder in Ontario than in some markets.
Lake variety. Going from Rice Lake to the Trent-Severn to Lake Simcoe to the Kawarthas in one summer is normal. Cellular coverage is patchy in chunks of all of those. The app caches when you're out of coverage and syncs when you're back. You don't lose engine data when you cross a dead zone.
Ethanol-free fuel checks. Most of our customers run ethanol-free fuel from our dock or other premium-fuel sources. The fuel flow data in the app makes it easier to confirm you're getting the burn rate you'd expect from premium gas. If you suddenly see consumption climb 15 percent for no reason, that's a flag worth catching.
Service interval discipline. Ontario boating season is short. April to October if you're lucky. Easy to miss a 100-hour service or annual maintenance because life. The app's push reminders close that gap. When you see "100-hour service due in 8 hours of run time" pop up on your way home from the lake, you book it.
Ready to confirm your eligibility?
Phone: 905-342-2153
Email: info@harrisboatworks.ca (send your Mercury serial number for a same-day yes/no)
Quote a repower if you need to switch motors: mercuryrepower.ca
Harris Boat Works · 5369 Harris Boat Works Rd, Gores Landing, ON · Mercury Marine dealer since 1965, current Platinum Dealer.
